The Inkronicle News Splash!
by MegaLCRO
Summary: Even a place as clean and bright as Inkopolis Square has its share of trouble; the Agents of the Squidbeak Splatoon know that fact well. Sometimes, though, the trouble hits close to home. When friends and family start getting hurt? That's when it gets rough. Between a hateful Inkling and a sudden Salmonid outbreak, these four cephalopods have their tentacles full.
1. Prologue

**Part 1: Rysoma, Ken**

_Kenneth Rysoma:  
Brush-wielding Inkling hero;  
Fearless Agent 4._

In the depths of Cephalon HQ, a lone Inkling, panting with exhaustion, wiped the sweat from his brow. Here he was, suspended on a grind rail, hovering high above a pool of foul purple liquid. Modified Rainmaker? Check. Heavenly Squid Sisters music blasting in his ears? Check. DJ Octavio, commander of the Octarian Army, trying to knock him off the rail with his Octobot? Checkeridoo.

This was a recipe for disaster.

As the Octobot reared back for another attack, Ken Rysoma, Agent 4 of the New Squidbeak Splatoon, tightened his grip on the Rainmaker.

"Graaaaah! You…you slimy little _hipster!__"_ The oversized octopus raged, slamming his tentacles down on the Octobot's control panel. "I'mma dubstomp you into oblivion!"

"Huh? Come on, my dude, who _says _things like that?" Ken mused, charging up the fish-shaped superweapon in his hands.

With a metallic groan, the Octobot launched a giant metal fist, emanating an ominous purple glow. But Ken was ready. Preparing to jump onto an adjacent rail, he released the trigger on the Rainmaker, launching a blob of green ink. Just as the fist approached, it collided with the ink blob. For a moment, the fist slowed, hovering in midair…before turning back towards Octavio. Just as it began to barrel towards the Octobot, another metal hand, spinning furiously, rocketed towards the Inkling.

"Whoa!" Ken yelped, almost losing his grip on the Rainmaker. He jumped over the spinning fist, and landed on the outer grind rail, just in time to see the first fist strike the DJ in the face. Octavio roared in pain and fury, as the Octobot shuddered. The commander barely managed to regain control of his enormous craft, a muscle twitching near his eyebrows.

"Argh, _splat you, you little punk!"_ he yelled, launching both of the Octobot's fists in desperation. Once again, Ken dodged the approaching projectiles, firing off another ink shot in midair. The green blob collided with both fists, returning them to their sender. Two loud crashes resounded through the stage, signalling the end of the battle.

The Octarian commander, Octobot and all, began to tumble, falling out of the air to the round stage below. As the Squid Sisters—Callie and Marie, Agents 1 and 2—cheered him on, Ken slid across the now-descending grind rail. He adjusted his grip on the golden superweapon…and jumped!

"And…" he yelled, slamming the Rainmaker down onto Octavio's head. "That's _game!_"

Octavio let out a gurgling scream, as the Octobot began to fizzle and spark.

"No…_no! Not againnnnnnn!__"_he yelled, desperately clutching at the control panel. The Octobot, now emitting a high-pitched whistle, began to rise back into the air, only to crash down again.

"So…sad…" the Octarian moaned. "Crossfade…to black…"

Shifting into squid form, Ken dove into a puddle of his ink, and not a moment too soon, as—

_Boom!_

Without warning, the malfunctioning Octobot exploded, unleashing a deluge of purple and green ink that covered the entire stage. Once the force of the inksplosion had subsided, Ken emerged from his puddle, surveying his handiwork. There, in the middle of the mechanical wreckage, was DJ Octavio, out like a light.

The fight was over.

"A-Agent 4! _Ken! _ You did it!" Marie's voice called, blasting in Ken's headset. "The Great Zapfish is safe, and Inkopolis too!"

"Just hang tight; we're coming to get you!" Callie's voice interjected, with a relieved giggle.

"Oh, yeah! Will do!" said Ken, looking up to the ceiling of the vast underground facility. "But, uh, y'know you don't have to talk so loud. This headset's pretty sensitive!"

"Uh-huh, right…" said Marie, with the vocal equivalent of an eyeroll. "Anyway, we're landing near your position. Watch yourself, Ken!"

As Marie's voice cut out, a large truck-like craft came into view above Ken's head. He could hear the instrumentals of the Calamari Inkantation booming through its speakers as it descended. Setting down the Rainmaker, he turned to Octavio's unconscious form, still lying in the remains of his machine.

"I, uh, might need some help getting Octavio in there, you know?" he pointed towards the large Octoling, grinning.

"Oh, him? Ah, don't worry!" said Marie, jumping from the craft. "We've got just the place for him…"

On cue, the back of the hovering truck opened, revealing Callie, wearing a rather skimpy black outfit, and resting against a giant, cracked snow globe. She hopped down to give Ken a high-five, then turned to Octavio.

"Ha! He'll be real comfortable in here!" she said, grinning from ear to ear. "That's what he gets for brainwashing me!"

The three Inklings laughed, as they began to haul Octavio into the hovering truck. As it lifted off, rising up and out of Cephalon HQ, Ken marvelled at how far he'd come. Hadn't it only been a month ago that he'd spoken to Marie, and found himself wrapped up with the Squidbeak Splatoon? It was incredible to think that he'd be here now, saving Inkopolis from the Octarian menace.

But here he was. Maybe the city would never know that he'd saved it, but Inkopolis was safe, thanks to the efforts of Squidbeak. That was all that mattered.

Wasn't it?

* * *

**Part 2: Mito, Aiden**

_Here's Aiden Mito  
Octoling test subject, freed  
From the gloomy depths._

He was falling, falling, falling. The sound of ocean waves and the whirling of a fleet's worth of helicopter blades filled the air, drowning out the howl of the wind around him.

The nameless Octoling soon felt himself landing on a large metal platform, hanging down from a helicopter. In an instant, he shifted to octopus form, super-jumping to the largest chopper of the fleet.

"Eight! You got it!" the voice of Marina, DJ of Off the Hook, shouted from above, as the Octoling stood up. Before him stood a titanic, human-shaped statue, covered in magenta ink. Loud static emanated from a set of speakers somewhere on the statue, carrying with it a crackly, furious voice.

"Applicant 10008…No other test subject has gone so far to spoil my plans," it boomed. The source of the voice, a derelict, rusty telephone, shook wildly inside the statue's eye, conveying its anger in a way that words alone could not.

"But now…yes, _now_! You shall be blended up into the perfect world the professor envisioned!" the telephone, Commander Tartar of the Kamabo Corporation, roared. "Farewell, 10008! Farewell to you…and that worthless cesspool of a city!"

With that, the cannon protruding from the statue's mouth began to glow, as an oily turquoise substance began to flow through its machinery.

"Hey, Eight! Don't worry; I got this!" another voice yelled from above. Its source, Pearl—the other half of Off the Hook—leapt from the helicopter to the platform below. She shot the Octoling a confident smile, before turning her attention to Tartar.

"Ayo, statue! Got something for ya!" she shouted, raising her arms. In a flash, she readied a massive speaker—a Killer Wail. As the statue's cannon charged, the short Inkling cleared her throat.

With a thunderous rumble, the cannon fired, sending a blast of slime towards the helicopter. In the same instant, Pearl took a deep, deep breath.

"**Boo**…**YAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!**"

Pearl screamed at the top of her lungs, her voice amplified by the massive Killer Wail. Soundwaves, accompanied by a torrent of ink, rippled through the air, meeting the beam of turquoise slime in midair. For a moment, the two beams clashed, like a high-stakes game of tug-of-war. Then…slowly, but surely…the Killer Wail's soundwaves overpowered the statue's cannon, which began to collapse, along with the statue itself, under the burst of sound and ink.

A final screech of static relayed Tartar's mechanical scream.

"P-professor…our r-r-r-reunion awaits…_kkkkkkrrrrrrrrssssshhhh_…"

With one last crackle of static, Tartar's voice faded into nothing, until all that could be heard over the statue's speakers was a muted hiss. Finally, the statue began to topple, unable to support itself. The clear seawater rippled wildly as the statue fell, sending waves in all directions.

The nameless Octoling, Agent 8, plopped down atop the gently swaying platform, pumping his fist quietly in his own method of celebration.

"Pearlie! Eight! _We did it!_" Marina shouted gleefully, as she hopped down.

"Y-yeah! I'm—I'm still trying to process it, you know?" Agent 8 replied, pushing his hair tentacle out of his eyes.

"You did well, bucko! Great work!" The voice of Cap'n Cuttlefish, the old Inkling captain of the Squidbeak Splatoon, came from above. "That was some o' the best shootin' I've seen in a long time!"

"Ah, but we couldn't have done it without our great hype man!" Marina chimed in, gesturing towards the Cap'n.

"Oh ho ho! My pleasure!" Cap'n Cuttlefish chortled, his beard shaking this way and that.

As the Cap'n and Off the Hook shared a laugh, Agent 8 cleared his throat, a small smile forming on his face.

"Um, if you've got the time…I'd like to discuss something."

"Hmm? What's up, Eight?" said Pearl, scooting over slightly.

"Well, uh…" The Octoling shifted slightly, pointing to himself. "You know how I can't remember my name? It's strange…I recovered most of my memories, but for some reason, my name just isn't coming back. So, I was thinking…why not just make a new one?"

"A…a new name? You mean, like…you'd be making a whole new identity!" said Marina. "You sure you don't want to keep thinking on it? This is a pretty big deal, you know?"

"That's about it, yeah. So uh…" Agent 8 mused. "I gave it some thought, and I've actually already decided on my name. It'll be Aiden Mito."

"Aiden? Mito? How'd you come up with _that?_" asked Pearl.

Agent 8 straightened up, placing a hand on his chin.

"You know, like…_eight? _Eight-en? Aiden?" he explained. "As for Mito…that's a bit trickier. It's just…something—a name— that I remember, but I can't quite place what it's from."

Pearl, Marina, and Cap'n Cuttlefish glanced at each other, and at Agent 8—Aiden. After a moment, they nodded, smiling at the Octoling.

"Well…if that name works for you, then…why not?" said the captain. "It's a fine name!"

"All right, then. It's settled!" said Marina, clasping her hands together. "That name suits you!"

Clearing his throat, the Octoling took a deep breath, and was about to speak when something stirred in the helicopter above. Looking up, he saw a caped female Inkling, clutching her head and looking down at the group below.

"Agent 3! You chose a heck of a time to wake up!" the Octoling joked, grinning. "You missed all the action!"

The Inkling, Agent 3, gazed at the remains of Tartar's statue for a moment, then back to the Octoling, before wordlessly shrugging her shoulders. The Octoling chuckled, standing up to look out to the sea.

"Ah, well…anyway, I'm Agent—" he paused, placing a hand on his chin. "No, wait…I have a name now."

He stood up, looking around at the smiling faces around him. The ones who had guided him all this way, and helped him conquer the Kamabo Corporation's cruel tests. A surge of gratitude swelled up inside him, which he displayed with a smile of his own.

"My name…is Aiden. Aiden Mito."

With a new name and new friends, the Octoling formerly known as Agent 8 would step into this new life, full of wonder and excitement.

He couldn't wait.

* * *

**Part 3: Nukléa, Inez**

_Inez Nukléa  
Ventured upwards; came to fight;_

_Turf War's in her blood._

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another great Turf War!" the announcer bellowed, his voice carrying over the sound of pre-recorded cheering that echoed through the air. "Today's venue is…the Reef! Let's cheer these fine folks on!"

On either side of the symmetrical arena, a spawn point flickered to life, oozing out different colors of ink: purple on one, and teal on the other. From each round spawn point emerged four figures: the Turf War players of the day.

"Yee-haw! Time to get this here show on the road!" one particular player, an Octoling girl, cheered, waving her Dualie Squelchers.

"Well, someone's excited!" said an Inkling teammate. "What was your name again? Ee-nez?"

"Ah, m'name's Inez! Inez Nukléa!" the Octoling replied, grinning broadly. "Howdy, partner!"

Just then, there came a loud popping noise, signalling the start of the Turf War match. The Octoling—Inez—sprang into action, covering the ground with purple ink. Her teammates did the same, as did the Inklings on the other team. Out of the corner of her eye, Inez saw a crowd of jellyfish, their faces pressed against the glass of the Reef's shop windows.

Three minutes wasn't a lot of time, but to the eight competing Inklings (and Octoling), it felt like hours. The teams duked it out, neither side taking an advantage for long. Colorful ink splattered everywhere, covering the concrete floors, the patches of grass under the overpass, and the metal chassis of the two cars on display. The spectating jellyfish cheered on the competitors from behind the windows, their warbling voices strangely muffled by the glass.

"Purple team's taken the lead, but Teal team's not backing down—Oh! That's gotta hurt!" the announcer yelled, as one of Purple Team's members vanished in a splash of teal ink. From that ink emerged another Inkling, wearing a grey hoodie and a malicious smile on his face. Inez paused, turning her attention to this new enemy.

"Oh, y'all ain't gonna like this!" she yelled, triggering the ink nozzles on her Dualies. She rolled sideways, beneath the overpass, pointing both Squelchers at the opposing Inkling. But just then…!

"Ha ha! Gotcha!" sneered another Inkling, emerging from the teal puddle in the shadow of the underpass. He and the hoodie-wearing Inkling pointed their weapons at Inez, smirking.

"Is that right?" she growled, her grin widening. "This ain't my first rodeo, ya varmints!"

In a flash, she spun, her Squelchers pointing in opposite directions. Squeezing both triggers, she opened fire, splatting both of her adversaries in a chaotic dance.

"Look at that technique! Inez Nukléa from Purple team has pulled off a double splat in three seconds flat!" said the announcer. "But it looks like Teal team's still closing the gap!"

Sure enough, no sooner had the announcer spoken than another pair of opponents appeared. Inez dove into the purple ink, looking to regroup with her team.

The seconds ticked away, and before they knew it, it came down to the last minute. As the famous tune, "Now or Never", began to blare from the Reef's speakers, all eight Turf War players sprang into action once again. Where Purple team splattered the ground, Teal team responded in kind with their own ink. The two spawn points hissed, again and again, as the combatants kept returning, itching to jump back into the fray.

With thirty seconds left on the clock, and both teams on even footing, Inez dashed towards the central overpass, laying down a suppressing barrage of ink. Suddenly, there came a blast of teal ink, as the gray hoodie-wearing Inkling reappeared on the other side of the bridge. He smirked nastily, pointing his Blaster at the Octoling.

"Well, ain't this just like one of them standoffs in the movies?" said Inez, readying her Squelchers. "What's it they say? 'It's high n— '"

"Yeah, just shut up, would you?" the Inkling barked, his smirk widening ever so slightly. "I don't have time for octo-scum."

Everything froze. Inez's smile faded, as the Inkling's words hit home.

"…What was that?!" she growled, gritting her teeth. "You lookin' to tick me off?"

"And it looks like I've done just that!" the Inkling spat back. "Better go back underground, like the rest of the eight-leggers!"

A scowl formed across Inez's face, as she pointed her Squelchers at the Inkling. For a moment, splotches of purple and teal ink flew through the air, as the two of them opened fire. Inez ducked behind a platform on the bridge, but it wasn't enough to avoid the splash of teal ink, as the Blaster's ink blob exploded. On the other side of the bridge, the hooded Inkling wiped off a spot of purple ink from his face, wearing an expression somewhere between cold amusement and utmost contempt. The two pointed their weapons at each other once again, and were just about to shoot when—

"Aha! Just in time!"

Suddenly, there came a loud burst of sound, as another teal Inkling appeared from under the bridge. Inez had just enough time to register the source of the sound—an Inkjet special weapon—before the ink jetpack's mounted cannon fired. In a flash, she was engulfed in teal ink.

"_Yow!_ Nukléa goes down, courtesy of a well-timed Inkjet!" yelled the announcer. "And with that…_time's up! _Let's go to Judd and Lil' Judd!"

On a set of large TV screens, lighting up behind the Reef's many windows, two cats appeared. With their colorful flags, Judd and his tiny companion, Lil' Judd, would declare one team the winner. As the audience and the competitors watched, they waved their flags whimsically, and then…a flash of teal, as the cats raised their respective flags.

"Teal team wins! 52% to 48%!" The announcer boomed, as the numbers and statistics flashed on screen. "What a comeback! And what a fierce standoff between Bobbi Deena and Inez Nukléa!"

As Inez emerged from the spawn point, her teammates patted her on the back, shaking their heads in defeat. Across the battleground, she caught a glimpse of Bobbi, the hooded Inkling, celebrating with his team. He locked eyes with her, and flashed a toothy, hostile grin.

"…_Dang it!_ You dirty little—" Inez cursed internally, turning away from the teal team. As the spawn points deactivated, she stepped out of the designated Turf War zone, Bobbi's words still ringing in her mind hauntingly.

'_I don't have time for octo-scum…'_

'_Better go back underground, like the rest of the eight-leggers!'_

Inez frowned. Is that what all Inklings were like?

No…surely not. She'd met plenty of nice ones in the months she had spent in Inkopolis, after all.

She shook her head, trying to stop thinking about Bobbi, but the mental image of his nasty smirk remained. That strengthened her resolve.

Next time, she would shut him up. Next time, she would win.

And she wouldn't be alone next time.

* * *

**Part 4: Rysoma, Mina**

_Mina, Ken's sister._

_Collected eggs for Grizzco_

_But does so no more._

The horn blew loudly, cutting through the chilly air and fog, as the four Inklings touched down on the rickety platform. The small boat from which they had just super-jumped began turning around, moving a safe distance away from the soon-to-be battleground.

"Those Salmonids'll be coming in any second now! _Get moving! Get me those eggs!" _That was Mr. Grizz, the mysterious CEO of Grizzco. "And don't even _think_ about slacking off!"

With a shrug and a roll of her eyes, Mina Rysoma prepared to move. Just another standard Salmon Run shift, right?

"Come on, Rysoma! Let's get this bread!" said one of her teammates, patting her shoulder.

"Uh, right! Let's go!" Mina replied, picking up her assigned weapon: a Classic Squiffer. Good; now this was a weapon she could work with. Years and years of Charger practice had left her a masterful sniper, after all.

Out of the ground rose a mechanical tube-shaped egg collector. With it, more horns began to blow, signalling the appearance of a wave of Salmonids. First came the small fry and the chums, gabbling and brandishing their frying pans. They were followed closely by large, lumbering Cohocks, and then…the "big bosses": gigantic Steelheads, rumbling Scrappers, raging Maws, and more.

"Go, go, go! Take 'em out! _GET THOSE EGGS!_" Mr. Grizz roared, nearly blowing out Mina's ear-mounted headphones. She and her team spread out, splatting Salmonids left and right. The murky water splashed dangerously, waves almost reaching above the concrete platforms on which they fought. The normally-gray platforms soon glistened with a mixture of blue Inkling ink and dark green Salmonid slime.

"Yeah, come get some!" said Mina, relishing the ferocity of the Salmonid waves. She and her teammates surrounded the egg collector, luring more and more of the mutant salmon towards them.

As the hours went by, and more and more golden eggs began to fill the collector, the tide began to roll in. Salmonids seemed to pop out everywhere, closing in on the four workers. By nightfall, hundreds of Salmonids threatened to overwhelm them, as a multitude of bosses appeared in their midst.

"Gotcha!" Mina declared, snapping a shot at a helpless Drizzler, who burst in a blast of blue ink. Collecting one of the golden eggs thus revealed, Mina took aim in the direction of the egg collector, hoping to ink a quick route there. She squeezed the Squiffer's trigger, held her breath, and released—

_Click!_

She frowned, looking towards her back-mounted ink tank/lifesaver. She'd run out of ink, and there was nowhere to fill up.

"Ah—!"

Before she could call out for backup, she heard a low growl, under her feet. Too late, she spotted a Maws—or, at least, its telltale bobber. She felt the ground shake beneath her, as it seemed to give way. The hulking Salmonid emerged in a flash, its namesake maws already closing in. With an almighty _snap, _Mina was engulfed.

For a brief moment, she experienced a damp darkness, but then…the lifesaver built into her Grizzco uniform kicked in, rising above the murk. Mina floated in the small reservoir of ink inside, forced into squid form.

"H-hey! _Help! Help me!" _she called out in desperation, hoping someone would hear.

"Rysoma! I'm coming!" the teammate from earlier shouted back, swimming through the ink. Mina, stuck in squid form, flipped and flopped in his direction, unaware of the returning Maws. It let out another rumbling growl, its bobber trembling.

"Watch out! It's coming back!" said the other Inkling. But it was too late.

With a roar, the Maws reappeared, sending Mina—lifesaver and all—hurtling into the air. Its massive teeth snagged the side of the lifesaver, rupturing it. There came a spray of blue ink, which was quickly absorbed by the Salmonids' muck.

"_Aaaaaaaugggghhhh!" _Mina screamed in pain, alerting the rest of her team.

"Oh, _carp!_ We got trouble!"

All thoughts of the golden eggs were abandoned, as Mina's teammates rushed to her aid, splatting any Salmonids that got too close. The Maws sank into a puddle of its green slime, looking to finish Mina off. As she struggled to move away, a barrage of ink engulfed the Maws, which vanished in the mess.

"Mina! We got you; don't worry!" her teammates reassured her, as they carried her lifesaver away from the edge of the platform. As the Salmonids threatened to swarm around them, they super-jumped to the Grizzco boat, taking care to keep Mina steady.

"Mr. Grizz! Mina's hurt! We have to take her back!" someone yelled into his headset. "Maws bit through her lifesaver!"

"Wait a minute! What's going on over there?!" came Mr. Grizz's voice, crackling over the receiver. "What about the eggs?"

"Th-the _eggs?" _Mina managed to choke out, panting. "Sir, I'm seriously hurt! And you're sitting there talking about—"

Mina suddenly convulsed in pain, her body twitching uncontrollably. Gritting her teeth, she sat up, looking down at her hands. What was going on? Why couldn't she stop shaking?

"All right, all right! Rysoma, you're done for the day!" Grizz replied, sounding more exasperated than concerned. "The rest of you: don't think this means you can slack off! Get back out there!"

"Sir, shouldn't someone stay here? Look her over?"

Grizz grumbled audibly, then muttered something about "sending Mina to the hospital." Then, the headset went silent, emitting a hiss of static.

"Un…believable…" Mina moaned, plopping down on the boat's deck. "Y-you've gotta be kiddin—"

It was then that her body gave out, unable to endure the pain. The world lurched violently, then faded into darkness as she fainted.

Mina would later find herself in the hospital, dazed and twitching, but well on her way to recovery.

And yet, her Salmonid troubles had only just begun.

**To be continued! Watch those front pages!**


	2. Headline 1: Agent Rendezvous

**The Inkronicle News Splash!  
Headline 1:  
"Agent Rendezvous"**

_These two young agents,_

_Protecting Inkopolis…_

_Can they get along?_

The blazing sun shone over the tall towers and skylines of Inkopolis Square, bringing with it the prospect of another bright, happy day. And yet, though the weather was sunny, the disposition of the Inkling now arriving at the Inkopolis hospital was anything but.

Ken burst through the front doors, panting heavily. After looking around for a moment, he turned his attention to the front desk, where a receptionist was busily jotting down notes and taking calls.

"Hi, um…My name's Ken Rysoma; I'm here to see my sister Mina," he explained breathlessly. "Where can I find her?"

The receptionist looked up with bleary eyes, her long tentacles swinging gently.

"Hmm? Rysoma?" she inquired concernedly. "Your sister…Mina Rysoma, right? She should be in the west wing. She's in Room—"

"Okaythanksbye!" Ken replied, in one breath.

With that, he dashed away, looking for his sister. Through the hallways he went, almost crashing into several patients and staff. Rounding a corner, he stopped in his tracks, gazing over a sea of hospital beds.

"H-hey, Ken…over here!" a voice whispered behind him. Whipping around, Ken came face to face with his older sister. Mina waved weakly, flashing a tired smile. "Hey, little bro."

"S-sis! You okay?" said Ken, moving over to Mina's bedside. "Mr. Grizz called me about it, so I came running. Y-you got mauled by a Maws?"

Mina nodded tiredly, raising her hands, which were twitching non-stop.

"Yeah…it left me like…this. Hands won't…stop shaking."

"Ah, dang…and you're a sniper too. Are you gonna be okay?" Ken asked sadly. "I-I mean, the doc'll fix you up, right?"

Mina sighed, shrugging. An exhausted smile crept onto her face, as she lay back in the bed.

"Hey, don't worry about me! I'm not that easy to take down," she reassured Ken. "In fact, the docs say I'll be ready to go in about a week. But…I might have to give up on using a Charger for now.

"Still…I guess that means I can focus on getting some more scoops for the Inkronicle, yeah? News waits for no one!"

She gave a quiet laugh, which quickly turned to a groan of discomfort, as her hands shook more intensely.

Ken frowned, gently patting Mina's shoulder. Losing her ability to use a Charger had to be a devastating blow, considering how much practice she had put in over the years as a dedicated sniper. Not only that, her job at the local newspaper company could be affected, if she couldn't type out her pieces in time.

Just then, his phone began to buzz. A message? Who could be calling him now, except—

"Uh, Mina…I think I should go; got some stuff to do," he said, hastily checking the phone. He glanced at the caller's name on the screen to confirm his suspicions, then quietly pressed the Ignore icon.

"Huh? Wh-what kind of stuff? You going to get groceries or something?"

"Uh, yes, that! Groceries. Sure," he replied, nodding. "Listen, I'll come by later, when I can. Get some rest for now, okay, sis?"

Mina raised her eyebrows quizzically at Ken, then shrugged.

"Mmm, okay. I'll be here," she mumbled sleepily, resting her head on the pillow. With trembling hands, she adjusted her covers, closed her eyes, and began to snore. Ken watched Mina's hands, which continued to twitch as she slept. Hopefully, the doctors could fix—

_Bzzzzzzt!_

Ken's thoughts were interrupted, as his phone buzzed again. Checking his surroundings to ensure he wouldn't be overheard, he answered the phone. And sure enough…

"_Ken! _What the _carp_? Why'd it take you this long to answer?" It was Marie of the Squid Sisters—AKA, Agent 2—clearly annoyed. "You were worrying me!"

"Uh, yeah, sorry!" Ken apologized, in a hushed voice. "I'm visiting my sister in the hospital. She got in a bad scrape with a Maws, and…"

"O-oh, well, um…sorry to hear that," said Marie. "But listen: I need you to rendezvous at Octo Canyon. Gramps—er, the captain—he's coming back, and he says there's someone he'd like us to meet. I…don't know anything about who he's bringing, but it must be a new recruit or something."

"Right on!" said Ken. "I'll be right there; just gotta grab my stuff."

With that, he made his way out of the hospital, making a beeline towards his home.

When Ken arrived at Tentakeel Outpost in Octo Canyon, half an hour later, he was greeted by Marie, wearing a black kimono and accompanied by a smiling Callie.

"Huh…he said he'd be here in an hour…" Marie was muttering to herself, her eyes darting between her phone's screen and the entrance to the outpost. "He's been pretty active in this online chat room I found, so it's not like anything serious has happened. Maybe the traffic's really slow or something."

"Hey, I'm sure he'll be here soon! He's probably just…busy!" said Callie, stretching her shoulders. "I wonder who that new recruit is, though…"

"So…I'm guessing this doesn't happen that often? This whole 'recruitment' thing?" asked Ken, absentmindedly fiddling with his Inkbrush.

"No, it really doesn't," Marie replied. "Actually, you and Agent 3 were the first new recruits in about fifty years. Or so I hear."

"…Oh."

Ken shrugged, absentmindedly twirling his brush.

The three of them sat quietly for a few minutes, making small talk. Ken was still busily inspecting his gear, lost in thought, when there came a rattling noise from the grate that covered the entrance tunnel.

"Ah, that must be him!" said Marie, pocketing her phone. "He's a bit late, but whatever."

The grate shook slightly, and slowly opened, revealing the frail-looking frame of the oldest Inkling Ken had ever seen. He wore a green tracksuit, battered sneakers, a backwards military cap, and a pair of thick-rimmed glasses, hanging low on the bridge of his nose. Ken stared at the old man, and his haphazard getup, with an expression of utmost bewilderment. _This _was the captain of the Squidbeak Splatoon?

"Hi, Gramps—uh, Cap'n!" said Callie, cheerfully stepping forward to meet the old Inkling. "How was the trip?"

"Oho? The trip? It was wonderful, just wonderful!" Cap'n Cuttlefish replied, a smile just visible from behind his thick beard. Patting Callie's shoulder, he turned to Ken. "Ah, you must be Agent 4—Ken Rysoma, is it?"

"Uh, yes, sir!" said Ken, unsure whether to salute or simply nod. "It's an honor to meet you, Cap'n."

"Likewise, boyo!" the Cap'n chortled, leaning on his walking stick, which Ken recognized as an old Bamboozler. "But now…on to business, eh? Where did that Agent get off to?"

Almost as soon as the words left Cap'n Cuttlefish's mouth, the entrance grate shuddered again. This time, it did not open; instead, a splash of magenta ink erupted from underneath, as another figure emerged. The agents had just enough time to register the newcomer's unusual, rounded form, before it shifted forms.

"…!"

Ken raised his eyebrows, and tightened his grip on the Inkbrush, as the new figure stood up. Instead of an Inkling's long, flat tentacles, a single, curly magenta tentacle adorned his head, where it stood out against his dark skin. The suction cups, which on an Inkling would have been on the underside of the tentacle, lay on top. Was this an Oct—

"_Huhhhh?" _said Marie, dropping the parasol she had been holding. "G-gramps! Isn't that…an Octoling?!"

At this, the Octoling in question recoiled slightly, looking warily in Marie's direction. He raised his hands, as if to show that he was unarmed.

"Now, now, don't worry!" said the Cap'n. "We've been on a long adventure together, and he's proven himself to be real trustworthy. Besides, he was humming your Calamari Inkantation when he came to, and, well…you know what I say! Any fan o' the Squid Sisters is a friend o' mine; I don't see species."

The Octoling, who had been cautiously keeping his distance, perked up at the mention of the Calamari Inkantation.

"W-wait…_your _Inkantation?" he murmured, in awe. "You mean…you're the ones that sang that song?!"

All nervousness forgotten, the Octoling stepped towards Callie and Marie, clasping his hands together.

"You two…I know this might sound crazy, but you _changed my life,"_ he declared, his eyes ablaze. "That song…that heavenly melody, it…well, it freed me, y'know?

"I was stuck in a pretty dark place, you know, what with the Octarian military and all, but that song…it's hard to describe in this language, but it pulled me into the light."

"Oh, um…n-no problem!" said Callie, with a giggle. "We're, uh, glad we could help out."

"Yeah, same here, I guess," Marie added. "We've been singing that song since we were kids!"

"Uh, that's great and all," Ken cut in, waving a hand at them, "but we haven't even gotten to introductions yet!"

The Octoling blinked, turning towards Ken. Looking at him from the front, Ken took in the Octoling's strange appearance. Virtually every article of his clothing consisted of jet-black leather, from the tall combat boots, to the long, tight pants, to the short shirt, which only had one long sleeve and exposed his midriff. Reflective yellow bands adorned his arm and leg, standing out against the black leather. However strange the Cap'n's outfit had seemed, it was nothing, Ken thought, compared to this bizarre ensemble. He continued to stare at the Octoling, unaware that the latter's purple eyes were trained on him.

"Hey, man, you still with me?" said the Octoling, snapping his fingers.

"Oh! Yeah, yeah," Ken replied, snapping out of a daze. "Uh, right! So, my name's Ken Rysoma. And _these two" _(he indicated the Squid Sisters) "are the impeccable Squid Sisters: Callie and Marie!"

"Ken, Callie, and Marie! Excellent; it's nice to meet you," said the Octoling, grinning broadly now. "My name's Aiden Mito—well, at least that's what I call myself these days. I…don't actually remember my real name, see."

"You see, I was stuck in an underground facility with this lad and Agent 3," Cap'n Cuttlefish explained. "He'd lost his memory, and had to go through a boatload of tests and experiments to get them back. Long story short, he passed all the tests, we found our way out, got to the surface, and here we are."

For a moment, an awkward silence hung in the air, which promptly broke as Ken and the Squid Sisters, their voices overlapping, launched into a series of questions.

"_Whaaaaat? _You can't just gloss over things like that!" cried Callie.

"_That's _where you went with Agent 3? That underground…thing?" demanded Marie.

"When'd all that even happen?!" shouted Ken.

"Now, now! We'll tell you the whole story!" said the Cap'n. "But where to start?"

"Allow me, Captain," said Aiden.

Brushing his tentacle out of his eyes, the Octoling plopped down next to a nearby tree. He sighed, taking a moment to gather his thoughts, and began to speak.

"As far as I can tell, it all started just a few weeks ago. I was in Octo Valley, just wandering around the old Octoweapons, when I met the Captain. He was with this girl—that's Agent 3 to you—who he sent out to fight me. We were at it for a bit, but then… someone else knocked us all out.

"I don't know how long I was out, but when I woke up, I couldn't remember anything. I didn't know where I was, what I'd been doing, or even _who_ I was. It was just me and the Captain for a while; we were down underground in this place called the Deepsea Metro."

"Wait! The Deepsea Metro?" said Marie. "I thought the place was abandoned? Off limits?"

"No, it's far from abandoned, but it's not just a metro; it was actually a bunch of test facilities." Aiden frowned, placing a hand on his chin. "It was still up and running when we got on the central station. There was a phone there. Told me I was Applicant 10008 or something, and that I had to pass some tests, to get to what it called the 'promised land'.

"It gave me this little doohickey, a CQ-80"—he paused for a moment to pull out a small, vaguely fish-shaped device—"then it called in a train. Turns out there were a bunch of people going about their day down there. There was a conductor and everything; a little blue guy, called himself C.Q. Cumber.

"Then, the Captain took out this walkie-talkie, and there were these two voices. Pearl and Marina. They—"

"Wh_-what?" _Ken interrupted, raising a hand. "Pearl and Marina? You're not talking about…_that _Pearl and Marina?"

"Uh—"

"_Off the Hook,_ my dude! You actually talked with Off the Hook?!"

Aiden blinked, before nodding.

"Uh, yeah! Actually, I still talk to them; we're in this chatroom together, with the Captain."

He pressed a button on the fish-shaped CQ-80 device. With a quiet beep, the device projected a holographic screen in the air, displaying an active chatroom. The text messages filled the majority of the screen, occasionally broken up by a smiley-face emoji, a series of colorful text, or even a full-sized photo.

Ken marvelled at the messages on screen for a moment, reading through the conversation. Meanwhile, Aiden continued his story, recounting the many difficult tests he had endured, the memories he had regained, and the final, arduous escape from Kamabo Corporation's test facility. Cap'n Cuttlefish occasionally added a comment of his own, detailing his own account of the events.

"…And then the statue started charging the weapon, but Pearl jumped down and pulled out this big speaker, and just _screamed _into it! It was crazy!"

Aiden paused, a hand on his chin, clearly enjoying the recollection.

"So we destroyed the statue and, uh, saved the city. And that's how I got here."

The Octoling rubbed his hands together, waiting for a response. Ken's silver eyes met Aiden's purple ones; the Inkling considered the Octoling, who returned the quizzical gaze. A palpable silence hung in the air, as Ken processed the story, his jaw hanging loosely.

"That's…one heck of a story you got, there, my guy," he said, after a moment's silence. "Yeah, it's—it's a bit hard to believe, though. Like, I'd have noticed some big human statue coming out of the sea, right?

His face broke into a smile, as he shrugged and extended a hand to Aiden.

"But you know what? The Cap'n was right there with you, and he trusts you, so I figure…I can do the same. Welcome to the team, my man."

Slowly, a relieved grin crept onto Aiden's face, as he took Ken's hand and vigorously shook it.

"Meanwhile, Three's gone off on her own again. She never was one to socialize." Cap'n Cuttlefish shook his head, a hand on his chin. "This could have been a big team reunion, but what can you do?"

"Ah, I guess she's just gonna have to miss out, huh?" said Marie. "Anyway…welcome to the Squidbeak Splatoon, Aiden!"

"Yeah! Glad to have you here!" Callie chimed in, patting Aiden's shoulder.

"Hey, do you think, uh…" said Ken, lowering his voice slightly, "you think you could introduce me to Off the Hook sometime? I'm a big fan; what can I say?"

"Oh? Yeah, I guess I could do that."

Aiden began to chuckle, then laugh; a loud, boisterous laugh that reverberated across the canyon. Before long, the Squid Sisters, Ken, and the Cap'n joined in, their laughter echoing again and again. Eventually, once the laughter had stopped, Ken surveyed Aiden's appearance, stroking his chin with a finger.

"So…do you have, you know, a place to live? Clothes? Food?" he paused, frowning, "What I mean is: do you have anywhere to go, in Inkopolis?"

"Well…I'm crashing at Marina's place for a little bit, and Pearl's hooking me up with some money, but I, uh, need to find a place sooner or later."

"Ah! It just so happens that there's a place opening up, right across the street from me!" said Ken, snapping his fingers. "I just remembered; it's a small house, perfect if you're living alone.

"Come on!" he added, motioning for Aiden to get up. "I can show you the place, and walk you around Inkopolis while I'm at it. Maybe get you out of that weird leather number you've got on." He gestured towards Aiden's outfit, which had certainly seen better days.

Aiden nodded, jumping to his feet. With his widest smile yet, the Octoling patted Ken's shoulder.

"Well, then, lead the way, Rysoma!"

Cap'n Cuttlefish and the Squid Sisters watched, smiling, as Ken and Aiden jumped down, into the grate to Inkopolis.

"Think they'll be all right, Gramps?" asked Callie.

"…Oh ho ho!" the elder Inkling chortled, "I think… they'll be just fine."

**More news, as it develops! Stay tuned.**


End file.
